Cargo discharging device



Se t, 2, 1947.

CARGO DISCHARGING I JEVICE FiledNbv. 50, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet l 4 INVENTOR.

E. R. CUNNINGHAM 2,426,862

Edwin R. Canninj/zam t Septi947- E.'R. CUNNINGHAM 2,426,862

CARGO DISCHARGING DEVICE Filed NOV. 50, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

P 2, 1947- E. R. CUNNINGHAM 2,426,862

GARGO DISCHARGING DEVICE iiled Nqv. 30-, 1945 s Sheets-Sheet s i q Y INVENTM.

Edwin E. Culinary/2am Patented Sept. 2, 1947 OFFICE CARGO DISCHARG ING DEVICE Edwin R. Cunningham, Lyon Park, Va., assignor to Switlik Parachute Company, Trenton, N. J.,

a partnership Application November 30, 1945', Serial No. 631,999

This invention relates to a device for discharging cargo from aeroplanes while the latter are in motion.

An object of the invention resides in the provision of such a device by means of which a plurality of cargo packages, of whatever form desired,'may be discharged from an aeroplane sequentially so that they may be lowered to the ground without interfering one with the other.

A further object of the invention resides inso constructing the device that when the movement of the cargo packages to discharge position has been initiated by the operator the packages automatically will be discharged one after another from the aeroplane. A still further object of the invention resides in so constructing the device that it may be installed in aeroplanes of various types and in various parts of the cabin of the aeroplane.

With these and other objects in view, such as will appear as the description progresses, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts illustrated in .the drawings, described in the specification and specifically recited in the claims,

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation partly broken away of the rear portion of an aeroplane showing the device of this invention installed in the rear compartment of the cabin;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view with the parts in the position they will occupy prior to launching or discharge of the cargo;

Figure 3 is a similar view showing the position that the parts will occupy after the discharge of the cargo;

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line -i4 of Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is a sectional View on the line 5-5 of Figure 2, with the parts in the positions they will occupy prior to the discharge of the cargo.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to Figure 1, the rear portion of the aeroplane is indicated by the reference numeral I and the rear compartment of the cabin thereof by the reference numeral 2.

The rear compartment 2 is provided with a door 3 in the bottom or the belly of the compartment, which is hinged at 4 and is adapted to swing into the closing position as illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings, in full lines, or into opening position as illustrated in dotted lines at 5 in Figure 2 of the drawings.

This door 3 is adapted to swing upwardly and downwardly about the pivot 4 to open and closed 1 6 Claims (01. 244,437)

positions, it being actuated into these two positions, and from one to the other, by suitable means under the control of the operator.

I have illustrated such a means in the drawings which consists of a hydraulic cylinder 6, which is pivoted at l to a suitable frame or a suitable portion of the aeroplane fuselage. A piston 8 is mounted within the cylinder 6 and is pivoted at 9 to the door 3 between its ends. This piston is adapted to move inwardly and outwardly of the cylinder 6 to open and close the door, its movement [being controlled, when hydraulic pressure is used, by control conduits I0 which are under the control of the operator. Thus when the-hydraulic pressure is admitted to one sideof the piston the door will be opened, and when it is admitted to the other side of the piston the door will be closed, the piston operating in the conventional manner.

A conveyor I I is mounted within the aeroplane cabin and inclines downwardly toward the door 3, as illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings. This conveyor comprises a plurality of freel rotatable rollers I2 and an endless belt I3 which travels over and around the rollers.

I have illustrated the conveyor as mounted on a frame l4 which may be secured in the aeroplane cabin in any desired manner, but it is to be understood that the conveyor may also be secured in the cabin of the aeroplane by direct connection with the aeroplane structure itself.

In order that this conveyor belt I3 may be given rapid motion toward the door openin it is provided with a splice board It which secures the two ends of the belt to ether and extends transversely of the belt. To this splice board I5 is attached a resilient actuating member I6 which may be in the form of an elastic cord. This actuating member I6 extends around the lowermost roller I7 and is attached at its opposite end to a tensioning device, such as a crank I8, which is suitably mounted on the frame I 4, or on some other part of the aeroplane structure.

The end of the door 3 is provided with a dog I9 that is pivoted at 20 to a projection 2| on the door and is normally urged, when the door is closed, downwardly so as to engage the splice board I5 by a spring or other suitable means 22. Mounted above the conveyor II is a static line cable 23 which is taut and is connected to the spaced standards of the frame I ior to some other suitable portion of the aeroplane structure and is adapted to receive the static lines 24 of the cargo packages 25.

In the drawings I have illustrated the cargo packages 25 as being in the form of mail bags which are closed by chokes 26. To each choke a parachute pack 26' is attached, the opening of which pack is controlled by the static line 24. The static lines 2-4, as is usual with such lines, are disengaged from the parachute pack when the weight of the pack is transmitted to the lines, thus permitting the pack to open and the parachute to suspend the weight.

In the present instance, when the cargo package passes through the door opening and fails a desirable distance away from the plane, the static lines are disengaged from the pack and the pack permitted to fall suspended by a parachute canopy.

When the device is to be readied for the discharge of cargo the door 3 is closed and the dog 19 lies in the path of movement of the splice board [5, being held in engagement with the splice board by the spring 22. The resilient actuating member I6 is placed under tension by the winding of the crank 18 so that it has a tendency to rotate the belt 13 about the end rollers l! of the conveyor rapidly in the direction of the door 9.

The cargo packages 25 are placed upon the conveyor as illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings, with the static lines attached to the static line cable 22.

When it is desired to discharge the cargo it is only necessary for the operator to actuate the controls It! to permit the hydraulic fluid to pass to the proper side of the piston 8. This fluid under pressure will move the piston 8 into the cylinder 6 and draw the door upwardly about its pivot 4 into the position shown in Figure 3, following the movement of the door because of the presence of the pivots 1 and 9.

The upward movement of the door disengages the dog [9 from the splice board l after the door has cleared the end of the conveyor, this movement being accomplished because of the presence of the spring 22. The splice board i5 being released, the resilient actuating member Ni quickly moves the upper reach. of the conveyor downwardly toward the door opening, which reach carries with it the cargo packages and, because of the momentum of the packages, they are discharged from the door opening, being released by the static lines 24.

The relationship between the conveyor and the actuating member i5 is such that the conveyor will be given sufiicient movement to carry all of the cargo packages to the discharge door so that they may all be discharged fromrthe aeroplane. To re-set the device it is only necessary to again closethe door, re-set the dog I9 in contact with the splice board 15 and place the actuating device 16 under tension.

While I have illustrated and described aparticular embodiment of our invention, and a particular location of the device, it is to be understood that many changes may be made in the details of construction and that the device is adapted for discharging the cargo from other parts of the cabin, either forwardly or rearwardly, or from a side door, and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction except in so far as that limitation is made necessary by the claims.

' I claim:

1, The combination with an aeroplane having I a compartment with a door opening therein, of

a door for closing said opening, a conveyor including an endless belt mounted within said compartment and directed toward said opening, means for rapidly moving a reach of said belt toward said door opening, means under control of the door for preventing the movement of said reach, and means for actuating the door to open position and for rendering inoperative said last; mentioned means.

2. The combination with an aeroplane having a compartment with a door openin therein, of a conveyor mounted within said compartment and including an endless belt directed toward said opening, means for rapidly moving one reach of said belt toward said opening, means for actuating the door into open and closed positions, and means carried by the door for preventing the operation of said conveyor actuating means until the door has moved a predetermined distance to its open position.

3. The combination with an aeroplan having a compartment with a door opening therein, of a door for closing said opening, a conveyor including an endless belt mounted within said compartment and directed toward said opening, means for rapidly moving a reach of said belt toward said door opening, means under control of the door for preventing the movement of said reach, means for actuating the door to open position and for rendering inoperative said last mentioned means, and a static line cable mounted above said conveyor and adapted to receive a pinrality of static lines of parachutes.

4. The combination with an aeroplane having a compartment with a door opening therein, of a conveyor mounted within said compartment and including an endless belt directed toward said opening, means for rapidly moving one reach of said belt toward said opening, means for actuating the door into open and closed positions, means carried by the door for preventing the operation of said conveyor actuating means until the door has moved a predetermined distance to its open position, and a static line cable mounted above said conveyor and adapted to receive a plurality of static lines of parachutes.

5. The combination with an aeroplane having a compartment with a door opening therein, of an endless belt conveyor mounted within said compartment and directed toward said opening, a door for openin and closing said opening, a resilient actuating device connected with said conveyor and adapted to be placed under tension and to move one reach of said conveyor toward said opening when released, and means on said door engageable with said conveyor for controlling the operation of said actuating means.

6. The combination with an aeroplane having; a compartment with a door opening therein, of anendless belt conveyor mounted within said compartment and directed toward said opening, a door for opening and closing said opening, a resilient actuating device connected with said conveyor and adapted to be placed under tension and to move one reach of said conveyor toward said opening when released, and means on said door engageable with said conveyor for controllin the operation of said actuating means,- said means for controlling the actuating means including a spring pressed finger adapted to engage the conveyor and to be disengaged from the same when the door has moved a predetermined distance to its opening position.

EDWIN R. CUNNINGHAM. 

